The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of crape-myrtle, the variety being primarily characterized by bright red purple blooms.
The variety is further characterized by:
Flat-spreading performance having a (hill spread)/(height) ratio of about 2.5, disc-shaped form, dwarf habit (about 30 cm height), heavy branching habit and an extremely numerous amount of blooms.
The new crape-myrtle variety originated in 1985 as a seedling resulting from the crossing of a pair of crape-myrtle plants. The seed parent was `Summer And Summer`, Lagerstroemia indica L., which was bred at a research farm in Uchino-cho, Niigata-shi, Niigata-ken, Japan, and the pollen parent was `Issai-Sarusuberi`, Lagerstroemia indica L. This crossing was done at the same research farm described above in 1984 with the object of producing plants having flowers of different colors from the seed parent, `Summer And Summer.` The seed parent, `Summer And Summer` has been registered under No. 1733 on Aug. 18, 1988, under the Japanese Seed and Seedlings Law. The pollen parent, `Issai-Sarusuberi` is a well-known and popular crape-myrtle plant and is under no protection, such as a patent or plant variety protection certificate. In 1986, the asexual reproduction of this selected seedling was done by me and under my direction at the same research farm by green shoot cutting. Then, observations were made for 2-4 years of grown plants during 1987-1989. The continuous asexual propagation has demonstrated that the novel characteristics would hold true from generation to generation, appear to be firmly fixed, and are transmitted without change through succeeding propagations.
The new crape-myrtle variety differs from its seed parent and pollen parent in the following ways.
______________________________________ New Variety Seed Parent Summer Fantasy Summer And Summer ______________________________________ Tree-Performance flat-spreading flat-spreading (hill spread)/ 2.5 3.0 (tree height) ratio Tree form disc disc Tree height (cm) dwarf (27.8) dwarf (20.0) Branching Habit heavy medium (number of branches 11.0 5.8 on a main trunk) Number of numerous medium inflorescences 8.5 5.0 per one cluster Number of numerous medium flowers per 67.8 32.0 one inflorescence Petal color bright red purple strong purplish JHS Color Chart pink 9506 or RHS JHS Color Chart Colour Chart 63B, 9205 or RHS Colour 67B, 71C Chart 68A, 68B, 73A ______________________________________ Pollen Parent Issai-Sarusuberi ______________________________________ Tree-Performance upright (hill spread)/(tree height) 0.43 ratio Tree form obovoid Tree height (cm) shrub (130.0) Branching Habit sparse 4.4 (number of branches on a main truck) Number of inflorescences little per one cluster 3.5 Number of flowers per medium one inflorescence 26.0 Petal color vivid red purple JHS Color Chart 9507 or RHS Colour Chart 71B ______________________________________
The new crape-myrtle variety may be reproduced with ease by stem cuttings. Just after root taking, young shoots come out and spread as growth proceeds. The variety becomes to show full flat-spreading in tree performance and disc shape in tree form, before appearance of flower buds. The tree height of an adult tree is about 30 cm and the hill spread is about 2.5 times the tree height.
The variety shows heavy branching habit and bears numerous flowers and buds. The blooming period of the variety is long, from July to October in Niigata-shi, Niigata-ken, Japan and in similar climate elsewhere. The variety also shows a good cold hardiness and can overwinter well without being supported with a pole even in a snowy area.